The present invention relates to a disk cartridge containing a disk form recording medium therein and capable of being mounted into and dismounted from a recording medium drive, and a recording medium drive including the disk cartridge.
A recording medium drive can be incorporated in an electronic apparatus capable of recording and reproducing information, for example, a portable type computer.
Such kind of recording medium drive can removably mount a disk cartridge therein. The disk cartridge contains a disk form recording medium therein. The disk form recording medium is, for example, a hard disk, and is so designed that information can be magnetically recorded on the recording medium and the information recorded on the recording medium can be reproduced.
Such a recording medium drive is called a removable hard disk drive apparatus (R-HDD).
FIG. 12 shows an example of the conventional removable hard disk drive apparatus.
A disk cartridge 1003 can be removably inserted into the removable hard disk drive apparatus 1000 through an insertion port 1007 in the direction of arrow 1004.
The removable hard disk drive apparatus 1000 includes a spindle motor 1005 and a turning type head actuator 1006 therein.
After the disk cartridge 1003 is inserted into the removable hard disk drive apparatus 1000 though the insertion port 1007, the disk form recording medium 1008 in the disk cartridge 1003 is chucked by a chucking magnet relative to a disk table of a motor 1005.
When the motor 1005 is operated, the recording medium 1008 is rotated, and the head actuator 1006 enters into the disk cartridge 1003 through an opening 1009 thereof. A magnetic head 1010 on the head actuator 1006 is moved substantially in the radial direction of the recording medium 1008, i.e., the magnetic head 1010 is put into a seek motion, whereby information can be magnetically recorded on a track of the recording medium 1008 or magnetically reproduced from the track.
The disk cartridge 1003 shown in FIG. 12 contains the recording medium 1008 therein, and is formed of a plastic. The disk cartridge 1003 is comprised of a combination of an upper shell 1015 and a lower shell 1016, in which the recording medium 1008 is contained. A connection portion 1017 for connection between the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016 is provided with the opening 1009, which can be opened and closed with a shutter 1020.
The opening 1009, when opened by moving the shutter 1020, enables access of the read head 1010 on the head actuator 1006 to the recording medium 1008 as above-mentioned.
FIG. 13A shows an opening and closing system of a conventional shutter 1020, and FIG. 13B shows an opening and closing system of another shutter 1020.
In FIG. 13A, a short shutter 1020 is disposed relative to the opening 1009 of the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016, a part 1020A of the shutter 1020 is located on the outside of the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016, and another part 1020B of the shutter 1020 is located on the inside of the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016. The shutter 1020 can be opened and closed in the direction of arrow 1031 by an actuator 1030 located on the outside of the disk cartridge 1003.
In FIG. 13B, when a pressing member 1035 provided at the upper shell 1015 is pressed in the direction of arrow 1036, a link mechanism 1037 is operated, whereby the shutter 1020 can be opened in the direction of arrow 1031.
However, in the system shown in FIG. 13A, the length of the overlapping portions 1040 between the parts 1020A and 1020B of the shutter 1020 and the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016 is small, so that gaps are liable to be generated. Therefore, dust or gas in the atmosphere surrounding the cartridge may penetrate to the recording medium 1008 in the disk cartridge through the gaps, thereby contaminating the recording medium 1008.
In addition, in the system shown in FIG. 13B, there are not only the same problem as in the system shown in FIG. 13A but also the following problem. Namely, since a gap 1050 is generated between the pressing member 1035 of the link mechanism 1037 and the upper shell 1015, the pressing member 1035 would be exposed to the exterior of the disk cartridge. Therefore, the gap 1050 becomes a large opening when the pressing member 1035 is operated in the direction of arrow 1036, so that the above-mentioned dusk or gas may penetrate through the opening, to contaminate the recording medium.
Besides, FIGS. 14A and 14B show the shutter 1020 and the opening 1009 in relation to the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016. The shutter 1020 is slightly larger than the opening 1009 in size, and the portions where the shutter 1020 overlaps with the inside of the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016 are made to be the so-called labyrinth structure portions 1060.
However, the shutter 1020 and the upper shell 1015 and the lower shell 1016 constituting the labyrinth structure portions 1060 are so constructed that the size of the overlapping portions 1070 thereof is very small, for example, about 0.5 to 1 mm. Therefore, again, dust or gas in the atmosphere would penetrate to the side of the recording medium 1018 through the labyrinth structure portions 1060 having the small size. Moreover, due to scattering of accuracy such as the size tolerances and shape accuracies of the upper shell 1015, the lower shell 1016 and the shutter 1020, gaps would be generated at the labyrinth structure portions 1060, so that, particularly, fine particulate dust or gas would penetrate into the disk cartridge 1003 through the labyrinth structure portions 1060 without being shielded.
FIG. 15 shows the upper shell 1015, the lower shell 1016, a recording medium 1018 and a center core 1080. The center core 1080 is provided for preventing the recording medium 1018 from chattering in the disk cartridge 1003 when the user carries or handles the disk cartridge.
It is important that the center core 1080, by engaging with a spindle motor, stably prevent the generation of gaps between the center core 1080 and the shells, thereby protecting the recording medium 1018 inside.
Conventionally, a system has been generally adopted in which the center core 1080 is restrained relative to the inside of the lower shell 1016 only in one direction of arrow N. In this system, however, since the recording medium 1018 receives external forces in various directions during carrying or handling of the disk cartridge, it has been impossible to prevent the generation of chattering of the recording medium 1018 or the generation of a gap 1081 between the center core 1080 and the lower shell 1016; as a result, there has been the problem of breakage of the recording medium 1018 or contamination of the recording medium 1018.
The present invention has been made for solving the above-mentioned problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disk cartridge which has a labyrinth structure for isolating a recording medium and the exterior thereof from each other, whereby penetration of dust or gas can be sufficiently prevented and chattering of the recording medium can be prevented, and a disk drive apparatus for use with the disk cartridge.